Letter: Funders should support nonprofit operations

It was with sadness that I read of Jennifer Fopma being fired as SAFE Place director. It was her very dedication and compassion that led to a problem with her choosing to keep the lights on rather than forwarding grant money to other nonprofits.

However, this situation illustrates a larger problem with nonprofit support in the Battle Creek area. Having worked to raise funds a couple of years ago for Gracious Homes Inc., I discovered that the three primary support groups for nonprofits — Battle Creek Community Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, and the United Way — granted funds based on “projects.”

In other words, there was funding to replace accounting software or buy a new sink, but funding to keep the lights and heat on and the water flowing was not there. Such operational support relied on local donations, and we all know what happened with those when the recession hit.

The bottom line: all the local non-profits are struggling to stay in operation, yet people still need shelters, children still need after-school programs, the hungry still need food.

Although Battle Creek area residents and businesses are very generous — the Enquirer constantly gives credit for donations to various projects — there needs to be a concerted team effort from the foundations/United Way and the City Commission to provide more funding for day-to-day operations of local non-profits.

If such support had been in place, Jennifer Fopma would still be capably running a very worthwhile nonprofit.